Control register for air conditioning apparatus



y 1958 E. OLSON ETAL 2,833,200

CONTROL REGISTER FOR AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 21, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.| 39 /5/2 20 U 20 fig /6 42 3? ,2, ML m I v i It a li N 22- so 00 go 00 gm :0 49. 5% J0. 4 J g-4a 59 57 I Ta "45 35 A m 56 1a 1 H HI T /O A? HQ II H 5 49 35 561 4 27 2/ 2a 5e 25 57 37 INVENTORSEDWIN OLSON BY ERNEST H. PERSON I A TORNEYS United States Patent CONTROLREGISTER FOR AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Edwin Olson and Ernest H.Person, New Britain, Conn, assignors to Allied Thermal Corporation, Newiii-stain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 21,1956, Serial No. 572,988

3 Claims. '(Cl. 98-101) This invention relates to control registers forair conditioning apparatus of the type having fixed and movable vanes orbaffles, and more particularly toa novel improved means for adjustingthe movable vanes or baffles of such a register.

It is the aim of this invention to provide in a, control register of thetype described in U. S. Patent No. 2,082,335 issued June 1, 1937, anovel and improved means for adjusting the movable baffles thereofwhereby the plane of the movable baffles will be maintained parallelwith the plane of the fixed bafiles in any adjusted position of themovable baffles in order to permit accurate adjustment of the register.

It is another aim of this invention that the adjusting means for theregister be simple and economical to manufacture, while assuring longand trouble-free service.

Other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a register constructed in accordance with theinvention as viewed from the upstream side thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the register of Fig. 1 with a portionof the register cut away; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of the register of Fig. 1.

With reference to the drawings, a control register constructed inaccordance with this invention is comprised of a hollow open endedcasing having a pair of side walls 11 and 12 and a pair of end walls 13and 14 extending therebetween. Mounted within the casing are a pluralityoffixed elongated baflles 15 having a tear drop cross section and fixedto the side walls 11 and 12 such as by the inwardly struck tabs 16 onthe side wall 11 as shown in Fig. 3. The end walls 13 and 14 are eachstruck inwardly as at 17 to form end baflles having a cross sectionsubstantially equal to one-half the cross section of one of the bafiles15.

Also mounted Within the casing are a plurality of movable baflles 20having a cross section similar to that of the fixed bafiles 15 butextending in the opposite direction. As can be seen from Fig. 2, thebaflies 20 are respectively interposed between the fixed baflles 15 andare of a diameter permitting spanning engagement with the fixed baffiesto prevent flow of air through the casing when in the closed position,as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the baflies 15 and 20 areperforated and filled with fibrous material having a sound absorbenteffect, such as glass wool, to provide attenuation of noises attendantto air flow past the baffles.

In order to support baffies 20 for movement relative to the fixedbaflles and the casing, there is provided a frame 21 which in thepreferred embodiment is comprised of a pair of spaced apart web members22 and 23 ex- 2,833,200 Patented May 6, 1958 tending transversely of thebaffles 20 and provided with notches as at 24 which receive the trailingedges of the baffles 20 which are fixed to the web members 22, 23 by anysuitable means'ysuch as welding. The web members 22, 23 are providedwith aligned elongated slots such as indicated at 25 on the web member22.for a purpose to be later explained. A second pair of web members 27and 28 are disposed parallel with the baflies 20 and in the preferredembodiment are fixed at either end to the web members 22, 23. The webmembers 27, 28'are also provided with aligned elongated slots extendingat right angles to the slots in the web members 22, 23 as at 29 in theweb member 27 for a purpose to be later explained.

As can be seen from Fig. 2 the movable baflles 20 lie in a plane whichis parallel with the plane of the fixed baflles 15 when in the closedposition and in moving the bafiies 20 away from the baflies 15' orupwardly as viewed in Fig. 2 to permit flow of air through the casing itis desired to maintain the plane of the bafiies 20 parallel with theplane of the baffles 15 in order to assure a predeterminable and smoothair flow. I

Therefore, in accordance with the invention, the center portion 36 of acrank member 35 having aligned crank arms 37 and 38, and aligned ofisetends 39 and 40 pivotally received in apertures provided in resilient tabmembers 41, 42 fixed to the side walls 11 and 12, extends through and isengaged in the slots such as 25 in the web members 22, 23. The means formounting the ends 39, 40 of the crank 35 permits easy assembly anddisassembly of the crank member relative to the casing. Further inaccordance with the invention, the center portion 46 of a second crankmember having aligned crank arms 47 and 48 and aligned ofifset ends 49and 50 journaled in the end walls 13 and 14 extends through and isengaged in the slots such as 29in the web members 27, 28.

As'should be apparent, if it is desired to move the movable baflles 20away from the closed portion shown in Fig. 2 to permit flow of airthrough the casing it is merely necessary to drive one of the crankmembers 35 or 45 to rotate it about the pivotal axis of the ends of thecrank member in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3,thus moving the frame 21 and baffles 20 upwardly or away from thebafiles 15 as viewed in Fig. 2. As the frame 21 is thus moved, the otherof the crank members 35 or 45 will of course be pivoted about thelongitudinal axis of its ends and because of its cooperation with theassociated slots in the frame will maintain the parallel relationbetween the planes of the first and second set of bafiies during themovement of the second set. In certain applications because of theoverall size of the register it might be advantageous to provide morethan one crank member 35 or 45 in order to provide proper support of themovable baflles. I

In the specific embodiment the crank member 45 is the member which isdriven and to impart rotation thereto there is rotatably mounted in theend wall 13 a stub shaft 56 which is provided with a hub 57 having akeyway 58 for the driving reception of the key 59 as shown in Fig. 1.Fixed to the shaft 56 is a pinion 60 engageable with a gear segment 61fixed to the end 49 of the crank member 45. A washer 62 fixed to theshaft 56 is engageable with a portion of the gear segment 61 under theinfluence of a leaf spring 65 mounted on the end wall 1 13. A screw 66rotatably mounted in the end wall 13 is threadably engaged with the leafspring 65 intermediate its ends whereby rotation of the screw tending tomove the leaf spring toward the washer 62 will increase the frictionalengagement of the washer and gear segment, thus frictionally impedingrotation of the gear segment by the pinion to assure that the movablebatfies 20 will remain in any adjusted position in which they areplaced.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended'that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofthe invention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

1. In a control register of the type described, a hollow open endedcasing, a first set of parallel spaced apart bafiles fixed to thecasing, a second set of spaced apart bafiles respectively interposedbetween baflles of said first set of bafiles and lying in a planeparallel to and-movable toward and away from the plane of said firstset, a frame to which said second set of bafiles are fixed having twosaid crank members is pivoted about its ends to move the second set ofbaffles relative to said first set the other crank member maintains theparallel relation between the planes of both sets of bafflesduring suchmovement.

2. In a control register of the type described, a hollow open endedcasing including a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls extendingtherebetween, a first set of spaced apart parallel elongated bafllesfixed to the casing,

a second set of spaced apart elongated baifles respectively interposedbetween baflles of a fixed set of battles and lying in a'plane parallelto and movable toward and away from the plane of said first set, a framefixed to said second set of bafiles and comprising a pair of spacedapart web members extending transversely of the baffles of said secondset adjacent the ends thereof and having aligned elongated slots, and asecond pair of spaced apart web members extending parallel to thebaffles of said second set and having aligned elongated slots extendingat right angles to the slots in the first pair of web members, a crankmember having a center portion extending through and engaging in theslots of said first pair of web members and having aligned ofi'set'endspivotally mounted on the side walls of the casing, a second crank memberhaving a center portion extending through and engaging in the slots insaid second pair of web members and having aligned ofiset ends pivotallymounted on the end Walls of the casing, and means on the casing torotate one of said crank members about its ends to move said second setof bailles relative to said first set.

3. In a control register of the type described, a hollow open endedcasing, a first set of parallel spaced apart bafiies fixed to thecasing, a closure member comprising a second set of spaced apart bafilesrespectively interposed between the baliies of the first set of baifiesand parallel thereto and a frame to which the second set of baffles arefixed, said closure member being mounted in sliding engagement with theinterior of the casing for movement toward and away from the first setof bafiies, and a pair of crank members extending at right angles toeach other and having their ends rotatably supported by the casing, saidframe having a pair of spaced apart aligned slots engaging each of thecrank members to maintain the closure member parallel to the first setof bafiles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,082,335 Hart June 1, 1937 2,328,659 McKenna Sept. 7, 1943 FOREIGNPATENTS 518,135 France May 19, 1921

